Quinn's side
by Raaaaaaaaaaaaa
Summary: starts from the middle of the book, after Caine has told people to go through people's houses and it skips through different scenes throughout the book. 6 parts! Has OC, please r
1. Chapter 1

"I don't care about that! Just check the goddamn house!" screamed Caine.

Quinn rolled his eyes. Sam stepped forward.

"It's been abandoned for as long as we can remember Caine, no one is going to be in that house."

Caine remained in control of the situation.

"I said I don't care, we have to check _every_ house. _Every_ one of them, got it?"

Quinn stood up to protest, but as he rose, Drake shifted and Quinn lost his nerve.

"Fine, we'll go."

Sam and Quinn made their way out and began to search houses, Brooke, a kid from Coates was forced to go with them, but she didn't say a word. After they found the dead boy, Sam ran off and Brooke was left with Quinn. He was angry, that much she could tell.

"We should follow him," she whispered quietly.

Quinn's frown eased.

"No," he said. "He needs to be somewhere else."

"But Caine…"

"If you wanna go to Caine then do it! Go for it. No one's stopping you, but you'll be going by yourself."

Brooke shook her head.

"I'd get lost," she whispered.

"Then follow me."

Quinn looked at the wagon and sighed. The bag was sitting on top and it was starting to get to him.

"Leave the wagon. Panda or something can pick it up."

Brooke nodded but otherwise remained silent.

They walked down the street and turned into an abandoned driveway.

"Okay background knowledge. Haunted house, no one has been in here since the guy died last centaury. Okay?"

She nodded again. Quinn ignored her as she fidgeted nervously and banged on the door. It opened without a creak and Quinn sighed – he really wanted to bash something down.

They both took a step in at the same time. It was awkward, Quinn turned on the lights and somehow they managed to flicker on. The room was dusty; no one had entered that front door in a long, long time. There were spiders as big as Brooke's hand and cobwebs spanned from the high ceiling to the floor. Brooke stepped in a small one and shrieked. Quinn came running and pulled her out of it.

"There are two floors and the attic. You go through the bottom level and I'll start from the attic and work my way down. I'll meet you halfway. Deal?"

"Yeah," Brooke said and began to walk down the hallway.

Quinn cracked his neck and climbed the spiral staircase up to the second floor.

Each step and each floorboard creaked to a different note. It echoed around and shivers went up his spine. This was no place for a kid. The second floor was just as dusty, the walls were covered with faded floral wallpaper that was grey. It wasn't the happiest place. The floors were wooden, and there was no rug to be seen, if there was one it had been eaten away by the rats that crawled over Quinn's foot.

"Hello?" he called out.

There was no reply; a small scuffle from the 1st floor but that was probably just Brooke. He found the latch to get to the attic and pulled. It fell away cleanly. _Not a speck of dust._ He noted. When he climbed up the stairs and he noticed that there was a light on in the attic but it wasn't natural light.

He climbed up the stairs and called out again, but again there was no answer. The attic was the length and width of the house. There was a bed in the middle that had recently been slept in. A cupboard that had over a thousand cans of food sat open on one side of the room. The walls were painted blue; a startling, vibrant sky blue. Halfway across the room were two bookcases; they acted as a wall divider but didn't cut all across the room. It was against the end bookcase sat something Quinn was not expecting.

There was a girl. She sat cross-legged, with her headphones in, and she threw a tennis ball up and down in her left hand. Her eyes followed the flight of the ball; Quinn watched her for a few minutes. She did the same thing over and over, ball up, eyes follow, ball land in hand, eyes follow; and then she would repeat it.

"Hello?" he asked softly.

The girl didn't respond; she didn't act like she had heard him at all. Quinn uncertainly walked over to her and crouched down.

"Hello?"

For a second she didn't respond. _Maybe she's autistic like Little Pete_ thought Quinn. He didn't know what to do; he touched her knee just as the ball landed in her hand. Her head snapped in his direction and she grabbed his shirt and clenched her fist threateningly.

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

Quinn struggled to breathe for a minute, when his lungs began to hurt she left go of his shirt.

"Thank you," he choked. "We're here to check the house; we didn't know anyone lived here."

"Oh." That's all she said.

Quinn looked at her.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

That was strange, she looked younger.

"Why are you here?"

"My parents put me here."

He looked at her, her hair was long and blonde, curly and messy – it looked good. He shook his head, _wrong time, wrong place._

"Who are they?"

"My parents."

Quinn laughed, "Do you have any siblings?"

"Just Charlie, he comes and sees me every now and then."

"Charlie? What's his last name?"

Quin couldn't think of anyone in Perdido Beach called Charlie. _Maybe he's a Coates kid,_ thought Quin mindfully.

"Merriman. He… he told me that he get's called Org now."

"Orc?"

"Yeah!"

The girl seemed to brighten up when her brother was mentioned; but Quinn was still in shock – Orc had a sister?

Quinn sat down next to her and looked around the room.

"So," he said casually, "What's your name?"

"What's yours?"

"I asked you first!" he protested.

"I asked you second, what's your point?"

Quinn laughed, "My name is Quinn."

She nodded. "Pipa, but Charlie called me Pip."

"Pip?"

"Yeah."

She smiled and wrote it in the air with her finger. "P-I-P."

"Left handed," Quinn said.

"You're obviously a lefty too," she stated.

Quinn was confused on how she knew but nodded.

"How do you spell Quinn?"

"Q-U-I-double n."

"So let's get you out of here, okay?"

He stood up and cracked his back. Pip jumped up and clung to Quinn's fluoro green polo.

"Quinn?"

He turned to face her; Pip's face was suddenly solemn and sunken.

"Yeah? You okay?"

"Quinn, please don't hate me."

"Why would I do that?" he asked.

He grabbed her hand and looked at her. She cringed and looked away.

"He called me a freak, Quinn. He said that I was inhuman and I shouldn't be alive, he said I should be grateful that he still came to see me. Mum and Dad thought the same, but they never came, they left me here."

He stared at her, unsure of what she was talking about.

"Come with me," she whispered.

She walked him passed the books to the little bathroom. Pip pointed to the mirror and Quinn gasped loudly.

There was no one there.

"But I can see you, and I'm right here!" he exclaimed. "Where is my reflection?"

Pip let go of Quinn's hand and suddenly he could see himself, but she wasn't there anymore.

"Pip? Where are you?"

"I'm right here," she said softly.

"You haven't moved," he murmured.

"No, no I haven't. Quinn, I… I can camouflage."


	2. Chapter 2

Quinn didn't understand.

"What are you talking about?"

Pip was crying, tears were silently falling down her face and she refused to lift her gaze from the floor. He grabbed her hand.

"Pip, talk to me," soothed Quinn. "I don't care; just explain to me what just happened."

She sighed. "A couple of months ago, I got a little upset. I dunno, I kept saying I wanted to disappear and I guess one day I did."

"So you can turn invisible?"

"It's not that simple. To my knowledge I just shake quickly, moving so fast I can't be seen. When I hold something I guess that shakes too. I can't feel me shaking but I can feel you shaking now."

Quinn smiled and squeezed her hand. He thought for a second.

It was like Pip was reading his thoughts.

"Are you going to take me to see Charlie?"

"I dunno," he replied slowly.

"How about I get out of your hair? Surely I can go home and talk to my mum?"

Quinn shook his head and began to slowly explain what the FAYZ was. She didn't get it at first but when he told her again she understood perfectly.

"Take me to Caine then."

He stared at her,

"Didn't you hear me? Caine is… he's-"

"I heard you, but he's obviously leading this FAYZ thing, so take me to him."

"You're a freak though," he said softly.

Pip didn't say anything for a second. She stood up tall and towered over him.

"I think you'll soon find I am becoming the normal, freak!" she spat and began to walk down the stairs. Quinn sat there for a minute; he wasn't sure what to do.

"Wait!" he called.

He ran down the stairs and saw Pip leaning against the wall waiting for him.

"Yes?"

"I'll go talk to Caine about everything, okay? I mean if Orc finds out you're leaving the house then he'll go skits at you, right?"

She nodded thoughtfully.

"Okay, but hurry back – I wanna walk around. It's been awhile since I saw Perdido Beach."

Quinn forced a smile. He didn't think she would want to after what it had been turned into.

He left the building with enough time to see Sam on his bike. He followed him cautiously. Sam stopped to talk to the prees and suddenly Emma disappeared. Her twin, Anna was left and Quinn saw Anna grab Sam's hand. They had gone out once, Sam told him that it was a thing he had to do, he never wanted to. That was Sam really; he was always doing stuff for people, never himself.

When Anna vanished too, Quinn ran to Caine, but was stopped at the door by Drake. He took short, sharp breaths as he tried to explain what had just happened.

"Another 'poof'," he said.

Drake stared at him, went inside and slammed the door on Quinn's face. There was a second where Quinn was too shocked to move; he took a step backwards and Drake opened the door again.

"Don't move."

When he came back, Quinn was told he could leave. He couldn't stop thinking about Pip. He met up with Panda and some Coates kid called Chris. They started walking the streets and laughing, they were on a mission from Mother Mary to find some kid's teddy bear. Chris had a game player in a bag for the kids as well and he carried a bat. Quinn desperately wanted it – he needed to hit _somebody_. It didn't really matter who.

They were walking down Astrid's street when Panda picked up a rock and threw it at Astrid's window; where little Pete was sitting. When it hit the window he started to scream. Quinn laughed, not at Little Pete but at Panda who had almost lost his footing when he tried to throw it – it felt good to laugh.

That moment was short lived because just as Quinn took a breath, he could hear Astrid yelling furiously from the door whilst trying to comfort her brother and Sam emerged from the house. That just made things a lot worse.

"What did you do, Panda?" roared Sam.

"He was ignoring me," Panda said.

"Panda was just goofing, Sam."

Quinn stepped in between the two of them. They began arguing and Quinn wanted to get out, he began to edge away.

"You have to help your friend, Quinn," said a voice from behind him; he instantly recognised it as Pip. Sam spun his head around, he had heard something but had no clue as to what said it or what it said.

"Look, take a breath, brah. We're on mission from Mother Mary. She drafted Panda and sent him to look for some kid's stuffed bear, okay? We were doing a good thing."

"Doing good and stealing someone's stuff? And on the way back you thought you'd throw a rock and hit an autistic kid?"

"Hey step off. We're bringing the game to Mary so she has something for the kids to do."

Sam spun around and walked off, obviously fuming. Quinn gave him the finger and they started walking back to Mary.

"Hey, you guys go off, okay? I'm gonna go home for a second."

The boys shrugged and they walked off. Quinn walked down the street and when he was sure that he was alone, he called out Pip's name.

"Follow me!" she sung, her voice was very sing-song. He blindly followed her until they reached his house.

"You know where I live?"

The door opened by itself and Quinn could hear Pip skipping down into the family room. He cringed, he didn't want to be here.

"Hey! How about you stop shaking?"

"Right, sorry! I'm just doing it outta habit now. Sorry."

Suddenly he could see Pip sitting on the couch. He sat down next to her.

"So who were they?"

Quinn smiled.

"They… well the guy that was yelling, he was best friend before all this happened."

Pip shifted uncomfortably.

"Sorry to hear that."

Quinn nodded.

"Yeah, me too."

There was more he wanted to say to her, but she jumped up before he could.

"Someone's at the door!" she said excitedly.

She took a step forward and Quinn grabbed her hand.

"Hey, if anything, I go to the door. Got it?"

She nodded and soon they were invisible. Quinn was starting to pick up on the difference, it was only slight. Things had a kind of blur to them, no object had distinct edges, they just meshed into its background. Only things that shook were completely visible; and at that point, that was just Pip.

There was a loud knock on the door and Quinn let go of her hand and walked to the door. It was Panda.

"Caine wants you. Follow me."

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, hold on, I got the stove on."

He ran back inside.

"Pip, I don't care where you go, but it's either you stay here or you go back to your house. Got it?"

"Yes Sir!" came her voice.

She must have been sitting on the couch. He waved and walked off.

Quinn was dropped at Caine's office.

"Does he have powers, Quinn?" The question, as blunt as it was, came from Caine.

"What are you talking about?" asked Quinn, he had to fend for Sam now.

"Powers, like something a normal person can't do. Run fast, kill the gravity, telekinetic power, you know. That kind of stuff?"

He hesitated. That was all Caine needed.

"So he does? Good. Where is he?"

Quinn didn't say anything; Caine indicated to Drake who hit him severely on the head.

"He hits you again in a minute, where is Sam?"

"I don't know!"

"Tell me!"

"I… with Astrid I guess. They could have gone to get groceries or something!"

"Good. You can leave now, Quinn"

He was forced out the door and Quinn's eyes began to fog up. He had down something unthinkable. He had betrayed Sam's biggest secret. He felt ashamed, he hung his head low and wished, more than anything that he hadn't told Pip to stay at his house.


	3. Chapter 3

**So this is just just after Sam, Quinn and Astrid went to Coates and freed all the 'freaks' this is when they're all walking back**

* * *

"Is that him? Is that Sam talking right now?"

Quinn managed a small smile; he found it mildly amusing that she was so enthusiastic to meet the people in Quinn's life.

"Yeah," he whispered.

A Coates kid turned around and looked at him. Pip giggled, he couldn't see her but he wanted her to make him invisible too; he didn't want to be there.

"So is that blonde girl Astrid? It has to be, because that has to be little… um…"

"Petey, Little Pete. Yeah, that's those two."

A Coates kid turned around just as Pip kissed Quinn on the cheek. He flashed for a second, like a light flickers on for a second before it works fully and he rubbed his eyes. _I must be dreaming_, thought the kid. Quinn was just smiling.

After what had just happened at Coates, Quinn was shaking. He felt like he had betrayed Sam all over again; to make it worse, it was just to protect himself.

"Quinn?" asked Pip.

He nodded.

"What happened up there? I've been waiting for you at your house."

"Why did you leave?" he whispered.

"I dunno, I guess I got bored."

"Why come here?"

"I stood on my roof and I saw a big crowd, I thought you might be there."

"Well here I am," he mumbled bleakly.

"Listen!" called Sam.

Quinn watched some of the crowed flinch. Pip stopped and became visible again. When Quinn saw her, her mouth was open like she was in shock.

"You okay?"

"That's… that can't be."

"Pip, what's up?"

"I… I had a dream about that kid. The one talking."

Quinn looked over.

"Sam?" he asked.

Pip nodded.

"What happened?"

She clenched her fist and her lips thinned. "Just keep him away from me."

"Don't worry," he said quietly. "Just stay with me and he won't be coming."

Pip suddenly noticed Quinn was crying. He was at the back of the group, now tears were pouring down his face and she didn't know what to do. She saw Sam look over while he was speaking and she vanished.

"Quinn," called Sam.

Quinn didn't look up.

"Quinn," he repeated. "It's a fresh start. Nothing before counts. Nothing. Brothers, man?"

"Yeah, brothers," he replied after awhile, his voice still low.

They began walking again. When they were about five minutes from town, Pip finally spoke up again.

"I… I had a dream that he killed my brother."

"Orc?"

"Yeah, he came in and suddenly these things sprang from his hands, then Charlie was dead."

Quinn almost laughed.

"Sam's not the killing type."

"Are you going to tell him, Quinn? About me and what I can do?"

"You want me to?"

"You didn't tell Caine. You have to pick a side, and that side needs to know about me."

Quinn shook his head.

"No they don't."

Pip was persistent. "Yes they do! Think about it. I can help defeat Caine."

There was another uncomfortable silence. To people around him, Quinn was walking alone, but he could just hear her skipping steps as they made it in to town. He stopped walking but the rest of the group continued. Edilio stopped and looked at him.

"You coming amigo?"

"Yeah, I just dropped something back there. Give me a minute."

"Back where?" he asked suspiciously.

"Like 20 metres, no worries, I'll meet you at Mickey's, yeah?"

Edilio nodded. "Sure."

Quinn ran twenty steps and bent down.

"Can you meet me at the beach?"

"Can I live down there?"

"There's a small hut, sleep in there."

"Don't worry; I'll be tanning all day."

Quinn couldn't help it, he laughed a little. _Pip was so happy_, he thought. It made him feel a little better.

Edilio ran up.

"Find it?" he asked.

Quinn nodded.

"Yeah, I dropped my key."

Just as he said it, he felt Pip drop a key into his pocket. He smiled and pulled it out to show Edilio. Edilio nodded.

"Cool, where you going?"

Quinn shrugged.

"Fire station I guess. Where else?"

"Well Sam's down at Mickey D's. You hungry?"

"Nah just drained. I'll see you later."

Edilio nodded.

"Well I'll walk with you until you get there."

He wanted to hold Pip's hand again; he wanted to feel like everything was going to be okay. Instead, he shrugged.

"Sure."


	4. Chapter 4

"You know Quinn," whispered Pip, "If you keep wandering off like this people are going to get worried."

Quinn smiled in the general direction of her voice but he couldn't see her. He took a step forward and suddenly Pip had her arms around his neck; he grabbed her and hugged her back tightly.

"I don't think anyone is going to miss me, especially after what I said to Sam."

Pip scrunched up her nose and Quinn smiled. He noticed that her arms were still touching the sides of his neck, and they were cold.

"Pip, are you cold?"

She disappeared for a second but Quinn felt her grab his hand and suddenly she was there again. Quinn pulled her away from the beach and they sat on a rock.

"So, answer the question, why are you cold?"

"Why haven't you talked to Sam?"

Quinn smiled.

"And how do you know I haven't?"

"Because I haven't met him."

Quinn looked out to the ripples, wishing that there were some waves he could surf.

"Quinn?"

He looked back at Pip.

"What's been going on? I can't find you anymore."

He tilted his head, she lowered hers.

"I waited on the beach the next day like you told me to. You came but when I ran up to you, you left. The next day I went to your house, to the fire station, there was no one there. Where were you?"

She started crying.

"I got scared. When I was trying to find you, a girl was walking down the road, with her dog and some coyotes. They smelt me, they tried to get me. I had to run. I… I got scared, Quinn."

He didn't know what to say. He just gripped her hand tighter.

"There have been gun shots too," she added.

"Pip – they were me."

She ripped her cold hand out of his and stared at him, no longer invisible.

"Sam asked me to," he whispered.

She was about to say something when a girl ran passed. She stopped when she saw Quinn.

"Quinn!" she said, breathlessly. "'Why are you sitting by yourself?"

He looked around – Pip had gone invisible again.

"Just needed a breather," he said, calmly.

She smiled for a second.

"Right! Listen there's some big guy coming along. I think you people call him Orc."

"Shit," said Quinn and rubbed his head.

"What do I do?"

"Tell Sam. Definitely tell Sam."

"Where is he?"

"Fire station I think."

"Okay, where are you going?"

"Tell Sam I'll meet up with him at Orc's house."

"Sure thing," she said.

Then she ran off.

"Pip," whispered Quinn. "I know you're still here so listen to me. You can't come."

There was a mischievous giggle.

"Try and stop me Quinn."

He shrugged.

"I guess I can't."

By the end of it, Quinn was pretty sure that Pip wished she hadn't have seen her brother. Quinn and Pip hadn't been waiting long before Sam showed up; Quinn had been clutching her hand so she wouldn't go in without Sam, she wasn't happy but she didn't try and push it. Luckily, it didn't take long before he arrived. Quinn let go of her hand, just before he saw Sam walking down the street.

"Now, Pip, please don't go in without me, okay?"

"Listen, he's my brother-"

"I know, but just in case he goes off when he sees you, wait for Sam."

She sighed loudly.

"Fine!"

And then she was invisible.

When Sam walked up, he formally thanked Quinn.

"I appreciate you sending Dekka to me and keeping an eye on things."

"I do what I can," he said, bitterly.

Quinn was the one who knocked on the door.

"Come in, morons!" called Orc.

Quinn opened the door, but Pip was the one who brushed passed him to see her brother. She gasped.

Orc looked bad. His shirt was torn to pieces, in his chubby hands he cupped a can of beer, he was scratched, had a black eye and his pants had seen better days.

"Let me drink this," he muttered. "Then you can kill me or whatever."

"This is my brother?" whispered Pip.

Sam spun around, but couldn't see her, he looked back at Orc.

"Where's Howard?"

"With them."

"With who?"

"Drake. That girl, what's her name, Lana. And a talking dog. Was the dog that took me down. Ripped a hole out of my guts. Ate my thigh."

"What are you talking about, Orc?"

Quinn watched as he gulped some of the beer and sighed.

"Man, that's good."

He turned to Sam, who was losing patience.

"Talk sense Orc!"

He belched loudly and slowly rose. A plate was knocked off the counter but everyone ignored it. They were all watching as he pulled up the tatters remains of his shirt and took it off. Edilio gasped, Quinn looked away, wishing that he knew where Pip was. Sam did not flinch. In great patches, green-grey gravel had lodged itself into the skin, as he breathed, it rose and fell.

"It's spreading," Orc said.

He appeared fascinated, and in a moment of weakness, Pip's invisibility began to shake slower and Quinn could see her. Her face stained with tears, her skin blotchy, she looked shrunken.

"It's warm."

Sam shook his head to stop himself from staring.

"Orc… how did this happen?"

"I told you. The dogs ate out my leg and my guts and some other parts that I ain't telling you about. Then this stuff kind of filled it in."

He shrugged and Quinn grimaced. The unmistakeable sound of footsteps on a gravel driveway echoed in his ear. Again, Pip faulted and he saw her again, she looked worse. Pale green but with red eyes, she looked sick.

"It doesn't hurt. It did but it doesn't now. Itches, though."

"Mother of God," whispered Edilio.

Quinn wanted to nod, but found himself paralysed by his disgust of Orc's injury.

"Anyway," said Orc. "I know you all hate me. So either kill me or get out. I'm thirsty and hungry."

Sam and Edilio headed to the door.

"Pip," Quinn whispered. "It's time to leave. This isn't your brother anymore."

"I guess not," she said slowly.

Sam was waiting out the door, but Quinn ran passed him, following in Pip's footsteps. She stopped when she reached the street and Quinn bumped into her. She threw up. Sam came and put a hand on his shoulder, thinking that it was him.

"Sorry," Quinn said quickly. "I guess I'm just weak."

"Worse is coming," said Sam, darkly. "But all of a sudden easy blink doesn't seem like the worst thing that could happen, does it?"

Quinn smiled, but he couldn't feel Pip anymore. And that scared him.


	5. Chapter 5

"Quinn? Is this it?"

Quinn spun around; he was standing on the roof top, holding the machine gun in his hand. It felt wrong. He nodded and Pip became visible.

"What's going to happen?"

She was obviously nervous. He smiled, for her sake more then his own.

"We're going to win."

"How do we win in this?"

She was like a child, always asking the questions. It was worse because he didn't know the answer to them.

"I dunno. Sam makes it out?"

"Sounds stupid."

"How's Orc?"

The conversation stopped.

It didn't continue for a long time. Quinn watched eagle-eyed, he didn't want to miss anything but he noticed that he was still tired. Sam had woken him up a little too early; there was still sleep in his eye so he rubbed it.

"Quinn," Pip said urgently.

He stopped and looked around. He gasped loudly.

"Shit."

"Yeah, what is that?"

"I… I think it's Drake."

He paused, it was bad enough that those coyotes had gone into the day care, but now Drake was… inhuman. And he had had a chance to shoot at him, not an hour before but had lacked the guts.

Pip walked slowly over to where Quinn was standing.

"I'm scared, Quinn."

"Me too."

"But I want to help. What did Sam ask me to do?"

"What?"

"What should I do?"

"Sit here, with me."

"What?"

"Just do it Pipa."

It was the first time that he had used her full name, and it had a full effect on her. She sat down obediently, and didn't say another word, he heard her sob.

He didn't turn back to Pip. He felt a rumble in the floor and he watched as the wall between the hardware store and the day care fell. The coyotes ran, Drake followed a few seconds later.

"It's Drake. Now's your chance," said Brianna.

"Get down, you idiot," he hissed.

He turned to make sure Pip was okay, but whether she had left or gone invisible he didn't have the time to check.

"Give me the gun, you wimp."

"You don't even know how to shoot it. Besides, he's probably gone. He was running."

"He's hiding. He's behind the dumpster."

He looked over the ledge and saw Drake hiding. He watched, frozen, as Sam appeared searching for him.

"Sam! Behind the dumpster!" screamed Brianna.

Quinn barely heard it. He watched Sam get beaten, strangled, he watched Brianna fall down the ladder, her speed causing her to fall.

"Quinn, get up," Pip whispered in his ear.

He shakily stood up, and winced as Sam got crushed against the wall. He picked up the gun and fired. It was instinct that made him do it, everything he had learned was wasted. He didn't aim, didn't squeezed the trigger, it felt like his finger had moved of its own accord. For a minute he thought that Pip had done it.

Quinn rose higher, standing tall, in full view of Drake. He spun around.

"You," he said.

"I don't want to kill anyone," said Quinn.

"You'll die for this, Quinn."

"Do it," Pip whispered angrily.

Quinn took aim, but Drake ran off furiously. Sam didn't rise for a coupe of minutes, and when he did, he looked like an old man. He half saluted Quinn.

"I owe you, Quinn."

He shook his head.

"I'm sorry I didn't shoot him."

He heard Sam sigh, and he watched him shake his head.

"Man, don't ever be sorry you don't want to shoot someone. Breeze? With me. Quinn, if anyone comes back to the day care, you don't have to shoot them, all right? But fire in the air, so we know."

"I can do that," he said.

Quinn's knees buckled and Pip grabbed the gun before it could accidentally go off.

"It's okay, Quinn," she said.

Quinn raised his head and looked at her. She was crying, tears ran down her face silently but she looked up and gave a little smile.

"You were brave, Quinn."

"No-"

"It wasn't a question, Quinn. You were. Get up, and keep watching."

He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Yes ma'am."

Pip stood up next to Quinn, she was back to being invisible.

"I gotta go, okay?"

"I swear," he said. "If you leave me I will shoot you."

"You can't see me," she replied. "I'll only be gone for like half an hour. Promise."

"Where are you going?" he asked cautiously.

"I have to go see someone."

"Sam?"

"Orc."

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to."

"Don't kill him."

"Damn!" she moaned. "Spoil my fun, much?"

She laughed.

"I'm joking. Be back soon."

Then Quinn was all alone.

She ran towards the centre of town, where she knew Sam was. He needed her help right now, that much was certain. She stopped running, as did a little kid. They both stared at each other and took a step back.

"Do you see me?" he asked.

She nodded.

"And you see me too, right?"

"Yeah."

They stared at each other for a second.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Bug," he replied. "What's yours?"

She didn't answer. The guy pulled something out of his pocket. It was a powerbar. She looked him over, he was small but he could definitely do what she did. He wasn't as good, she could see the powerbar becoming visible, he hadn't had as much practise as she had.

She did something he wasn't expecting, she ran at him and launched a punch at his face that her brother would have been proud of. He fell to the ground, she was about to hit him again when she heard Quinn fire. She left him on the ground and sprinted to him. When she found him, he was hitting the coyotes with his gun. She went invisible and began to cover his back.

His heartbeat echoed in her ears, as long as she could hear it. A coyote come up behind and tried to get Quinn, she kicked it hard and it whimpered. But she had lost control and wasn't invisible anymore, a different coyote launched itself at her and got her shoulder.

She screamed and Quinn spun around. She bit her tongue hard and went invisible again. Quinn hadn't seen a thing. He continued screaming, hitting the animals and Pip stood away for a second. Watching him, seeing the animal blood seep into his clothes, the piles of them building up. She had never felt more frightened.

"Give it up!" someone screamed.

Pip and Quinn both turned to Diana.

"We're done here. You guys stop."

One of the coyotes looked at her.

"Female say we're done?"

"Yes. Now get out!"

Quinn sighed and dropped to the ground. He watched as the coyotes left. He turned around and stood up.

"Pip, you here?"

She grabbed his hand. Her shoulder bone was exposed, she was bleeding badly, her shirt wasn't green anymore but caked brown with blood. More and more was oozing out, she needed help. She needed Lana.

Edilio ran up.

"Here man."

He looked up to see Lana with him. She out her hand on his head.

"Where are you hurt?"

"Not me, her."

Edilio and Lana looked at Pip. She pushed her hand against her shoulder and Pip screamed. It ricocheted off the walls and flooded right through Quinn, he felt it in his bones. Then suddenly it stopped and Pip passed out.

Quinn carried her back to the old house, except it had been burnt down by someone. There was nothing left. He carried her back to his house. Where she slept. He went back to make sure Sam was safe.

He climbed up the steps and stood with Sam and Edilio. He glanced at Sam, who tried to smile; but the look was just pained. Quinn's eyes began to water and he just wanted to go with be with Pip. He looked at Edilio.

"Later brah."

"Where you going?" he asked.

"Home. I'm getting rid of this blood."


	6. Chapter 6

They had been sitting down for a very long time.

"I dunno what's going to happen now; Sam made it through his, what about mine?"

"I don't know either," whispered Pip. "I just hope that you make it out."

Quinn smiled. "Me too, me too."

They were silent for a little while, Pip let go of his hand and suddenly they were both visible.

"Quinn?"

"Yeah?"

"You never told Sam about me, did you?"

"Huh?"

"You never told Sam about me. Otherwise someone would have asked me to help. Like that kid, they call him Bug. He can do what I can do, only I'm better at it, aren't I? Why wasn't I used in all this?"

Quinn ran his hand along her cheek.

"Honestly, I did tell Sam; but I told him that I didn't want you in this anymore than he wanted Astrid in it."

"That's ridiculous; I can stand up for myself better than she can."

He smiled, "I know, I just don't want you hurt, Pip."

"What? 'Cause you love me?"

"Yeah, because I love you."


End file.
